Chima Azubuike, Gombe
Gombe state Government has moved to end illegal destruction of forest resources in the state.
According to Governor Inuwa Yahaya, the state can not afford to spend scarce resources which is caused by indiscriminate tree felling, adding that this year’s exercise, intends to plant fast growing species needed to combat desertification and erosion; indigenous species that are facing extinction in the country.
He stated this on Saturday at the 2020 Tree Planting Campaign tagged ‘Greener Gombe for a Greater Gombe’ at Wajari, Yalmatu Deba LGA Gombe.
Yahaya said efforts have being geared towards formulating laws to end illegal tree felling in the state.
He said, “I would like to call on every citizen of our State to support us in bringing an end to the reckless destruction of our forests, especially through illegal exportation of firewood, charcoal and timber to markets within and outside the State.
“In order to provide a legal mechanism for an effective implementation of our forest protection laws, I have directed the Ministry of Environment and Forest Resources and the Ministry of Justice to expedite the ongoing review of our forest resources laws. We cannot afford to spend huge amounts of scarce resources to plant and nurture trees, only for them to be felled and sold for peanuts by some unpatriotic elements.”
Commissioner for Environment and Forestry Resources Dr. Hussaina Goje, said the impacts of global warming have brought a further increase in rates of climate-related events such as flash floods, windstorms, and torrential rains, heatwaves, aridity and desertification, and other climate-related disasters.
“The socioeconomic impacts of all these are difficult to quantify. This is more alarming since the vast majority of our people are subsistent farmers who depend directly on the land resource that has been overstretched,” she added.
